BL 2727 



Copy 1 



INGERSOLLISM 

IN ITS TRUE COLORS; 

OR, 

A FAMILIAR CONVERSATION 



BETWEEN 

A YOUNG GRADUATE AND HIS 
AGED UNCLE. 

SHOWING 

THE TRUE INWARDNESS OF INGERSOLL'S 

TEACHINGS AND THEIR PERNICIOUS 

EFFECTS ON AMERICAN SOCIETY. 



IRZETST. IMI. I^TJBI, C. 2u£. 



BUFFALO, N. Y. : 
BUFFALO CATHOLIC PUBLICATION CO. 

1886. 



BL 2727 

R8 INGERSOLLISM 

Copy 1 

N ITS TRUE COLORS; 

OR, 

A FAMILIAR CONVERSATION 

BETWEEN 

A YOUNG GRADUATE AND HIS AGED 
UNCLE: 

SHOWING 

THE TRUE INWARDNESS OF INGERSOLL'S 

TEACHINGS AND THEIR PERNICIOUS 

EFFECTS ON AMERICAN SOCIETY. 

/ BY 

REV. M. RUBI, C. M 



BUFFALO, N. Y. 
BUFFALO CATHOLIC PUBLICATI 




Copyright, 1886. 
Rev. M. RUBI, C. M. 



PREFACE. 

The title and substance of the fol- 
lowing pages are so clearly indica- 
tive of our purpose, as to preclude 
the necessity of any lengthy preface 
or introduction. However, to give 
our little work a more finished ap- 
pearance, and increase its interest 
for our readers, we deem it useful to 
make a few remarks explanatory of 
the form under which we present 
our pamphlet to the public. 

The present publication is the re- 
sult of an idea conceive 1 while en- 
gaged in bringing to completion a 
work soon to be published under the 
title of u Ingersollism versus Com- 
mon Sense." One day, while em- 
ployed in arranging the manuscripts 
of the work just mentioned, we re- 



4 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

ceived an unexpected visit from a 
young man, whom we had not seen 
since the days of his boyhood. Af- 
ter the usual interchange of kindly 
greetings and friendly inquiries, we 
glided into serious conversation, 
during the course of which we in- 
cidentally drew our young friend's 
attention to the labor to which, for 
some time past, we had been devot- 
ing our leisure moments. Surprised 
and shocked were we on soon learn- 
ing, from his own lips, that the boy, 
whom we knew as a fervent Chris- 
tian, had, as a man, developed into 
a confirmed atheist. 

Our lately-arrived friend ridiculed 
the idea of our hoping to discover 
any antagonism between Ingersoll- 
ism and Common Sense. He idol- 
ized Ingersoll, and regarded the 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 5 

notorious atheist as the very personi- 
fication of human reason. 

Sorely grieved, we reflected that 
the young man before us might be 
but one of many, who like him had 
been blinded and led from the way 
of truth by the empty, foolish, 
high-sounding utterances of Col. 
Robert Ingersoll. At once, for the 
sake of our friend and the commu- 
nity at large, we determined to pre- 
pare for the press a few pages show- 
ing in a clear, simple, concise man- 
ner, the absurdity of the fundamen- 
tal principle of Ingersollism, and the 
pernicious influence of Atheism on 
Society. How we have succeeded in 
our design, the following pages will 
show. 

In the work above mentioned, Ave 
cast our matter in the form of a dia- 



6 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

logue lield between an uncle and a 
nephew; for the sake of convenience 
and simplicity, we have preserved 
the same form in the present pam- 
phlet. This explanation will, we 
trust, be a sufficient apology for 
what some might consider the ab- 
rupt, and, perhaps, unartistic man- 
ner, in which we have introduced 
our subject and characters. 

If our humble effort should be the 
means of recalling even one of 
America's free sons to the standard 
of the God who watches over the 
destinies of our nation, or of saving 
the lowliest of our citizens from the 
dark abyss of Atheism, we would 
consider ourselves amply compensa- 
ted for our labor, and feel grateful 
to the infinite, merciful Being, whose 
honor we defend, 



INGERSOLLISM 

IN ITS TRUE COLORS; 

A SMALL PAMPHLET, SHOWING,— 

1. How Ingersoll's theory, regard- 
ing an eternal universe, lowers man 
to the level of the beast; 

2. How, according to that theory, 
a man might awake some morning 
to find his nose situated between his 
shoulders; 

3. How IngersolFs system ren- 
ders all science, all art, all trade 
impossible; 

4. How Ingersollism does away 
with the authority of books, and 
makes this world a paradise for 
thieves; 



8 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

5. How an atheist confounded his 
comrades with a dice-story; 

6. What an infidel philosopher 
thinks of IngersoH and his followers; 

7. How, according to Ingersoll's 
notorious idea, men, monkeys and 
ganders are eternal; 

8. How from Atheism flows the 
absurdity of an eternal succession; 

9. How a simple child brought a 
smart atheist to grief; 

10. How Ingersoll contradicts the 
fact of continued production; 

11. How Ingersollism is opposed 
to the most sacred institutions in 
our land; 

12. How it is a greater enemy to 
our nation than was the late civil 
war; 

13. How it aims at the utter de- 
struction of our republic; 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 9 

14. Why it ought to be con- 
demned by every true son of Amer- 
ica; 

15. Why Ingersoll assumes the 
role of a professional blasphemer; 

16. Why people attend Ingersoll's 
lectures. 



Chas. — Uncle, I would like to 
know what you think about Inger- 
soll's theory regarding the non-ex- 
istence of a Creator. In a book, 
which I am now reading, I find this 
much- talked- of infidel giving ex- 
pression to sentiments that appear 
to me somewhat startling. "The 
Universe, according to my idea," he 
says, "is, always was, and forever 
will be. It is the one eternal being 
— the only thing that ever did, does, 
or can exist." 



10 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

Uncle. — In the first place, Char- 
les, I would remark, that if this idea 
of Ingersoll's be true, he himself is 
not a being, a thing, — but simply an 
infinitesimal particle or fragment of 
"the only thing." Now, as one por- 
tion of the same material does not 
differ from another, except in quan- 
tityjngersoll must admit that, quan- 
tity excepted, there is no difference 
between himself and any one of the 
specimens of the Darwinian tribe, 
that afford amusement to the visi- 
tors of our zoological gardens; — for 
the monkey, like Ingersoll, is a 
fragment, a particle of "the only 
thing." 

It appears to me that, in his pres- 
ent position, the Colonel cannot 
avoid this unpleasant conclusion. 
Indeed, I cannot understand how 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. H 

Ingersoll or any man of sound mind 
can be so foolish as to declare that 
such an idea has taken root in his 
mind. 

Chas. — And yet, Ingersoll nas 
made this idea the theme of lectures. 
He has presented it to the public 
under various forms, and seems to 
make it the basis of all his intellect- 
ual labors, and the boast of his life. 
In fact, it characterizes all his writ- 
ings and sayings. 

Uncle. — Then surely Ingersoll 
must labor under some strong 
hallucination; for, I repeat it, no 
fair, sound mind can, for an in- 
stant, entertain such a flagrant absur- 
dity. If IngersolFs idea were true, 
no science would be possible; art, 
trade, commerce could exist only in 
name; all things would be lost in the 



12 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

mazes of uncertainty. There is no 
imaginable absurdity which would 
not be authorized and sanctioned by 
this pet notion of our modern in 
fidel. From Ingersoll' s reverie legit- 
imately and naturally follows the 
possibility of his awakening some 
morning to find his noble head or- 
namented with a pair of long ears, 
or covered with a rich crop of Afri- 
can wool; — nay, it is possible that 
even his whole person may undergo 
such a metamorphosis, as to attract 
the attention of the managers of our 
dime museums. The absurdities 
contained in the Colonel's idea are 
so glaring and disgusting, that, 
drawn out at length, they would ex- 
pose him to the ridicule of the world. 
Chas. — Your assertions, uncle, 
are indeed startling, and if satisfac- 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 13 

torily demonstrated, would fill any 
one with unutterable contempt for 
the abettors of a system warranting 
such nonsensical conclusions. 

Uncle. — All that I have advanced 
follows as a necessary consequence 
from Ingersoll's premises. Let any 
man, even superficially acquainted 
with the sciences, endeavor to rec- 
oncile the principles of Natural 
Philosophy with Ingersoll's dream of 
the eternity of this material universe, 
"the only thing/' and he will find it 
impossible not to admit the absurd- 
ities, at which I have hinted. So 
palpably nonsensical is this idea 
of Ingersoll's, that if presented to 
the public in its naked reality, and 
developed to its logical results, it 
would excite the derisive laughter 
of the most insignificant village- 



14 INSERSOLLISM IN ITS TRITE COLORS. 

school in the land, and would be re- 
ceived even by the ignorant as the 
conception of a man, whose sanity, 
to say the least, is not beyond ques- 
tion. No vast erudition or profound 
study is required to show how con- 
trary to manifest truth and common 
sense is IngersoLTs idea. A simple 
glance at a few of the fundamental 
principles of Natural Philosophy 
will suffice to discover the folly and 
weakness of the position taken by 
our boastful atheist. 

Chas. — Although you speak with 
such confidence and certainty, yet I 
must confess that I do not clearly 
apprehend all that you insinuate. 

Uncle. — Well, then, I will briefly 
explain myself in such a manner 
that not only you, but even the 
most ordinary intelligences, may be 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 15 

able to clearly perceive the shallow- 
ness and marked inconsistency of 
IngersolPs reasonings. 

Now, in the first place, that mo- 
tion requires a mover, and that the 
universe moves are facts placed by 
science beyond the possibility of 
controversy. 

From these two universally ad- 
mitted truths, it necessarily follows 
either that the universe receives its 
motion from some external power,or 
that it moves itself, that is to say, is 
essentially active — there is no other 
alternative. If the first supposition 
is true, if the universe has a mover, 
then evidently ifc is not "the only 
thing that ever did, does, or can ex- 
ist;" then IngersolPs idea falls to 
the ground,— his bubble bursts. 
Now, of necessity, our would-be 



16 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

atheistical philosopher is forced to 
rest the truthfulness of his idea on 
the hypothesis that matter moves of 
itself, by its own intrinsic power; 
and by pursuing this course he 
rushes blindly into a labyrinth of 
absurdities and contradictions from 
which no effort of his wily, inven- 
tive genius can extricate him. 

If Ingersoll really feels convinced 
that his speculations regarding a 
self -moving universe are true, he 
should manifest his new system to 
the world; he should have it intro- 
duced into our schools; it should be 
taught and learned. However, I fear 
that long before the faintest ray of 
success would gladden our atheist's 
mind, he would be crushed beneath 
the burthen of proof devolving on 
him. To begin with, he must satis- 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. \J 

factorily demonstrate, that hitherto 
all men of science have been in 
error; that all their knowledge, all 
(heir theories, all their calculations, 
all their suppositions have had no 
other foundation than a mere phan- 
tom. All schools must be persuaded 
of the truth of Ingersoll's system, 
and all books remodeled according 
to his idea. If our learned friend 
succeeds in accomplishing all this, 
certainly, he will deserve to be con- 
sidered the greatest man of the 
age. 

Ingersoll's theory denies to mat- 
ter the property of inertia, and thus 
strikes a blow at the foundation of 
all mechanical science. 

If this dream of our loquacious 
atheist has any real foundation, if 
the universe moves by its intrinsic 



18 INGERSOLL ISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

power, then, contrary to experience 
and all science, matter is not pos- 
sessed of inertia, that property by 
virtue of which a body cannot put 
itself in motion, when at rest, or 
come to rest when in motion; and as 
a consequence, we are forced to the 
absurd conclusion that every parti- 
cle of matter in existence is essen- 
tially active, and has the power of 
self-movement. I doubt very much, 
Charles, if such extravagant notions 
would be received even by the in- 
mates of an insane asylum; and I 
know that it is useless for Ingersoll 
to look elsewhere for disciples. 

If our profoundly wise philoso- 
pher should tell his cook that the 
cakes and pies, which last week she 
placed in the pantry, were possessed 
of self-acting power, and that of 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS . 19 

themselves they have disappeared, 
would she not conclude that her 
master's mind is, at least, tempo- 
rarily unsettled? What would a 
boy think of Ingersoll if he should 
tell him that his hat, which cannot 
be found, has, without the applica- 
tion of any external power, moved 
from the position in which he lately 
placed it? What audience could 
refrain from laughter on hearing 
our advanced scientific atheist de- 
clare that, after death, their corpses 
would be able to walk unassisted to 
the grave.? 

Such absurdities legitimately and 
necessarily flow from Ingersoll's pet 
idea. There is no argument by 
which he can give his position even 
an air of plausibility. Every man 
knows that inertia and self-move- 



20 INGERSOLLTSM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

merit necessarily exclude each other; 
likewise, no one can be so foolish as 
to deny that matter moves, and 
that inertia is a property of matter. 

From these unquestionable truths, 
it follows that matter must receive 
its motion from some external force. 
To maintain that matter bas the 
power of self-movement, is equiva- 
lent to saying that a man's purse or 
watch can by its own power leave 
his pocket, and find its way into the 
pocket of his neighbor. 

A fine theory this, to defend the 
actions of thieves, burglars, and 
murderers! 

If, as Mr. Ingersoll pretends, the 
universe moves by virtue of its in- 
trinsic power, it follows that his 
eyes, his ears, matter like the uni- 
verse, must be possessed of self-mov 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 21 

ing force; and hence some day it 
may happen that these eyes, these 
ears of Ingersoll,will take a notion to 
depart from their present position, 
and locate themselves in his heels. 

Chas. — Though bodies, on account 
of the property of inertia, cannot 
move by their own power, yet could 
they not communicate motion to one 
another? 

Uncle. — Your question, Charles, 
is amusing and laughable; for, if 
what you suppose were true, we 
might some day be treated to the 
novel sight of a cart-load of corpses 
being drawn to the grave by a dead 
mule driven by a dead monkey. 

Have you forgotten that a thing 
cannot give that which it has not? 

Chas. — But, uncle, you suppose 
that the universe was created, and 



22 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

that it has received its present move- 
ment from its Creator. Mr. Inger- 
soll, on the contrary, says that the 
universe is eternal, that its motion 
is eternal, and hence that it has no 
mover outside of itself. 

Uncle. — This is but one of many 
similar disgusting absurdities to 
which Ingersoll has given expres- 
sion. To defend this assertion he 
must prove what is absolutely im- 
possible, — that matter can possess 
two contrary properties. By saying 
that the motion of the universe is 
eternal, Ingersoll' s idea is not placed 
in any more favorable light, — the 
case remains substantially the same. 

Whether the universe moves 
from eternity or not, it moves either 
by its own power, or by the appli- 
cation of some external force. If, as 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 23 

Ingersoll wishes, pretends the uni- 
verse is posessed of self-moving 
power,then it is essentially active and 
can never beat rest. Behold, now, 
Charles, the absurdities flowing from 
such a supposition. All knowledge 
becomes impossible; the beautiful, 
harmonious order, which on all sides 
meets our gaze, disappears;confusion 
and disorder reign everywhere; the 
world falls into absolute chaos. 

If matter were essentially active, 
the mountains and hills, the valleys 
and woods would be continually 
changing their positions; books and 
documents would be of no authority 
or value; the alphabet w T ould be use- 
less; and all written language would 
be but a confusing conglomeration 
of unintelligible hieroglyphics. 

Just imagine the confusion that 



24 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

would follow if books were written 
with letters possessing the activity 
of sparrows, or of young wild colts, 
or even of Ingersollian youths! Im- 
agine what would happen with an al- 
phabet made up of kittens, or wolves 
arranged with lambs!! 

In the hypothesis that matter has 
the power of self-movement, trees 
and plants could never lake root; 
and all things on the face of the 
earth would be constantly agitated 
and tossed like the billows of a 
stormy ocean. If matter should 
have the power of putting itself in 
motion, some day Mr. Ingersoll 
might find his nose situated between 
his shoulders, or his tongue protrud- 
ing through his ear. 

Behold the wisdom of the great 
IngersolPs idea! 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS . 25 

Chas. — It appears to me, uncle, 
that in your reasonings, you entirely 
overlook those universal, unchange- 
able laws of nature, by which even 
the minutest parts of the universe 
are beautifully ordered and regu- 
lated. A knowledge of these laws 
enables the astronomer to predict 
and determine with mathematical 
exactness all the various combined 
and complicated motions of the heav- 
enly bodies. In the laws of gravi- 
tation, attraction, and repulsion, be- 
hold the forces, which keep every 
particle of matter in its own sphere, 
and produce the admirable order ex- 
isting in the world. 

Uncle. — These very laws are 
founded on the inertia of matter, 
and serve to place more clearly 
before our eyes the absurdity of In- 



26 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

gersoll's idea. If matter were essen- 
tially active, it could not be acted 
upon, and its movements could not 
be regulated or systematized. 

Let the boldest, most advanced 
atheist calmly, seriously, and impar- 
tially consider nature in all her op- 
erations, and he cannot but admit 
that all things loudly proclaim the 
existence of an all wise, omnipotent 
Being that rules the universe. 

I will now relate to you an inci- 
dent which occurred some time ago, 
and which clearly manifests what a 
transparent fraud atheism is, and 
how insincere are its defenders. 

One evening a number of leading 
men of the Ingersoll type were as- 
sembled to discuss subjects congen- 
ial to their impious, blasphemous 
minds. 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 27 

After a supper seasoned with sar 
casm and ungodliness, one of the 
company proposed that they should 
select a counsel in the interests of 
God. They agreed to the proposal; 
and the lot fell on a philosopher no- 
torious for his wit and impiety. The 
counsel took his seat and spoke as 
follows: — 

"One day a man took six dice in 
a box before my eyes, and laid a 
wager that he would throw out six. 
At the first effort he turned out six. 
•I said: It is possible to do so once 
by chance, 

"He returned the dice to the box, 
and a second, a third, a fourth, and 
a fifth time, always threw six. By 
George, I cried, the dice are loaded. 
And so they were, Gentlemen, when 
I consider the regularly recurring 



28 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

order of nature, those regularly re- 
volving cycles of an endless variety 
of details, that singular direction 
for the preservation of a world such 
as we see, ever turning up in spite 
of a hundred million other chances 
of perturbation and destruction, I 
am forced to cry out: Certainly ^na- 
ture is loaded? 

The boastful atheists were dumb- 
founded by this original and sublime 
sally of wit from one of their party. 

Yes, Charles, any atheist, who re- 
flects, cannot fail to see the nonsense 
contained in his system; he cannot 
escape the contradictions pressing 
him from all sides. 

Already, perhaps, I have given 
more consideration to this silly idea 
of TngersolPs than it merits; how- 
ever, I cannot dismiss this question 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 29 

without placing before you the sen- 
timents and testimony of a famous 
infidel, regarding the eternity of 
matter. What I will now read for 
you, will clearly show in w r hat es- 
timation this pet theory of IngersoLTs 
is held even by infidels. 

Here are the very words of the 
philosopher to whom I refer. "I see 
matter,'' he says, "sometimes in mo- 
tion, sometimes at rest; whence I 
infer that neither motion nor rest 
is essential to matter. Movement 
being an action, it must be the effect 
of a cause, the absence of which is 
rest. When matter is not acted on- 
it does not move; and by the very 
fact of its being indifferent to motion 
or rest, it is evident that its natural 
state is rest." 

Having demonstrated that passive 



30 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

and communicated motions differ 
from voluntary and spontaneous 
motions, he thus proceeds: "To im- 
agine that matter is capable of self- 
movement is to imagine an effect 
without a cause — a perfect absurd- 
ity. Is it not clear that if motion 
were essential to matter, it would 
be inseparable from it? In that 
hypothesis matter and every portion 
of matter would be constantly in 
motion; moreover, this motion could 
not be increased or diminished,and it 
would be impossible even to conceive 
matter at rest. 

"The state of the question is not 
changed by saying that motion is 
not essential but simply necessary 
to matter. For the movement of 
matter comes either from itself, and 
then it is essential to it; or, it comes 



INGEKSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLOKS . 31 

from an external cause, and then it 
is necessary to it, only in as much 
as the cause of motion acts on it. 
The difficulty is not changed; it re- 
mains the same.'* * * * 

"General and abstract ideas are 
the sources whence have sprung 
men's greatest errors. These sophist- 
ical metaphysicians have never dis- 
covered a single truth; on the con- 
trary they have filled Philosophy 
with absurdities, which stripped of 
their specious, plausible coverings, 
bring the contempt of men on their 
authors. 

"Tell me, my friend, if, when you 
hear of blind force spread through- 
out nature, your mind conceives any 
real idea. 

"Men using such expressions as 
universal force^ necessary motion. 



32 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

and the like, imagine that they say 
great things; while in reality, they 
say nothing. The idea of motion is 
the idea of change from one place to 
another. All motion must be in 
some special direction; for, an indi- 
vidual cannot move in all directions 
at once. In what direction, then, does 
matter necessarily move? Has all 
the matter in a body a uniform 
movement; or has each atom its own 
particular movement? If the first 
be true, then the entire universe 
must form one solid, indivisible 
mass; if the second, then the uni- 
verse is nothing more than a fluid 
spread on all sides, and void of all 
cohesive power, so that it is impos- 
sible for two atoms to unite. 

"In what direction will this move- 
ment common to all matter be made? 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 33 

Will it be in a straight line,upwards, 
downwards, to the right, or \o the 
left? If each atom has its partic- 
ular direction, where will we find 
the causes of ali these directions and 
differences? If each molecule of 
matter would simply revolve about 
its centre, nothing would ever move 
from the position in which it had 
been placed, and there would be no 
movement communicated; besides, 
in any case, this circular movement 
would necessarily be directed to- 
wards some definite point. To give 
to matter movement by abstraction 
is to utter meaningless words; and 
to give to matter a determined, defi- 
nite movement is to suppose a cause 
directing this movement."* * * * 

"Give to matter the power of self- 
movement, and at once the order of 



34 INGEKSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

the universe is completely destroyed. 
The 'immovable mountain will im- 
mediately enter into action, and 
freelv walk through our open coun- 
try; the walls, which defend our 
castles, will leave the places they 
have occupied for centuries; the gold 
which for years you have hoarded up, 
will quit the place of safety to which 
you have committed it; the stick, 
which I let fall, will arise and re- 
turn to my hand. Give to matter 
the power of producing various ef- 
fects from the same causes, and the 
waters of the rivers will no longer 
flow in their proper channels; the 
falling stone will impede its own 
descent; the planets will wander in 
confusion through space; and the 
astronomer will find all calculation 
impossible.* * * * 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 35 

"This force, which brute matter 
cannot possess, try to attribute to 
the vegetable kingdom, and the re- 
sult will be, that the oak will arise 
from the seed of the orange tree; 
the leaves of the poplar will cover 
the peach; and the farmer will never 
be certain that his seed will produce 
what he expects. 

"Make matter essentially active, 
and you plunge the world into ab- 
solute chaos. This matter, then, is 
essentially dead in its rest, essen- 
tially passive, inert, slave in its ac- 
tion." 

Thus, Charles, is the absurdity of 
IngersolFs idea fully exposed by an 
infidel, who, though he wandered 
far from the path of truth, never 
fell into the glaring inconsistencies 
which have made Ingersoll an ob- 



36 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

jeer, of ridicule to every man of sense. 

If the atheist would for a moment 
reflect, he would see that, according 
to his theory, there are effects with- 
out causes, paintings without paint- 
ers, houses without builders; he 
must believe that the first man made 
himself, or, like the mushroom, grew 
up under an oak; he must confess 
that he is a beast, and that a tail is 
the only difference between himself 
and his dog. 

Chas.— In as far as I can see, un- 
cle 5 you require a mover for the uni- 
verse, because you do not believe in 
the eternity of matter; butlngersoll 
says matter is eternal, and it seems 
to me that he could defend his as- 
sertion by contending that, in this 
world, there is an eternal succes- 
sion of things. 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 37 

Uncle. — Such a line of argument 
would only serve to prove either 
that Ingersoll is lamentably igno- 
rant, or that truth is a thing for 
which he entertains a supreme dis- 
regard. His every effort to defend 
himself only carries him farther out 
on the wild sea of absurdities, on 
which he has been launched by his 
intellectual pride. 

The man, who would seriously af- 
firm that he saw a solid block of 
boiling water hard as a rock, would 
certainly be regarded either as a 
consummate fool or an inveterate 
liar. A greater absurdity than this 
is IngersolPs assertion, that matter 
is eternal; that, in the universe, 
things have been eternally succeed- 
ing on<* another. If this dream of 
our atheist were true, there would 



38 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

be, in the universe, an eternal goose, 
a goose that never began to exist, 
that always was and forever will be; 
there would bean eternal city, an 
eternal horse, an eternal house, an 
eternal street, an eternal Ingersoll 
with an eternal hat, an eternal coat, 
an eternal pair of boots ! ! ! 

Chas. — Uncle, you make all things 
eternal while Ingersoll only means 
that, from eternity, things have been 
succeeding one another in perpetual 
rotation, as in an infinite series or 
circle. 

Uncle. — If the Colonel really 
means what you assert, it is evident 
that, lawyer though he be, he does 
not clearly apprehend the real mean- 
ing of the words, time and eternity. 
Time essentially implies succession; 
eternity essentially excludes all sue- 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 39 

cession. Change of any kind is nec- 
essarily connected with time; while 
it can, in no way. be reconciled with 
the eternal. Thus, you see, Char- 
les, Ingersoll's eternal succession is 
an absurdity; — it is equivalent to 
eternal time, an evident contradic- 
tion. 

This eternal-succession defence 
does not divest our atheist's idea of 
any of its absurdity, nor does it ren- 
der the inconsistency of his system 
less patent. 

Succession is necessarily the re- 
sult either of creation, or of produc- 
tion. If the succession arises from 
creation, then there must be a Crea- 
tor, a Being of infinite power, — a 
God; if it be brought about by pro- 
duction, then things either produce 
themselves, that is, before they are 



40 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TKUE COLORS. 

they give themselves existence, or 
they are produced one from another, 
trees from trees, vegetables from 
vegetables, animals from animals. 

Now, of course, Ingersoll will not 
admit that there is a Creator; and, 
though his brain seems to have a 
wonderful capacity for the absurd 
and ridiculous, yet he will not be so 
daring or reckless as to assert that 
things produce themselves. Hence, 
of necessity, our atheistical philoso- 
pher is forced to rest his theory on 
the supposition that, from all eter- 
nity, things have been produced one 
from another. 

Wo matter from what standpoint 
we view this never-ending succession 
theory, we meet with the same inev- 
itable absurdities. For instance, 
see how these speculations of our 



LNGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 41 

nineteenth century atheist conflict 
with the phenomenon of continued 
production going on in the vegetable 
and animal kingdoms. 

That there is in the world this con- 
stant production, is a fact demon- 
strated by Science, Common Sense, 
and daily experience, and believed 
by all men. 

Now, the terms produced, produc- 
tion, necessarily imply a producer; 
and in following back the line of 
production, we must of necessity 
come to an absolute, independent, 
unproduccd Power, the origin and 
source of all production. Thus, in 
spite of his sneers and ridicule Inger- 
soll will be forced to admit that "All 
wonderful little things must have 
had a producer, a maker." 

Likewise, if he take the time and 



42 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

trouble to follow up the Ingersollian 
line, he will at length come to the 
first great Ingersoll — the Ingersoll 
"behind whom," he says, "there is 
nothing;" and then he must admit 
either that this first Ingersoll made 
himself, gave himself existence, or 
that there is a God. 

To show even more clearly the 
ridiculous position in which In- 
gersoll now places himself, I will 
read for you an incident bearing 
directly on the subject we are 
considering: Some years ago, a 
young man, a native of one of the 
French provinces, was sent to Paris 
to complete his studies. Like many 
others,he had the misfortune to meet 
with bad companions. His own 
passions, together with the impious 
language of his comrades, soon led 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 43 

him to a forget fulness of the pious 
lessons of his mother, and to a con- 
tempt for Religion. He came to 
the point of wishing, and at length 
of saying, like the senseless crea- 
tures of whom the prophet speaks: 
There is no God; God is only a 
word. Incredulity always begins 
by saying these things, as it were,in 
a passing way; it is a plant that 
takes root only in corruption. After 
many years' residence in the capital, 
the young man returned to the 
bosom of his family. 

Chas. — Excuse my interruption, 
uncle; but it strikes me that you are 
perhaps placing this young man's 
character before my eyes as a mirror 
in which to view myself. If so, you 
certainly exaggerate my faults, and 
rashly judge me. While at college, 



44 

I never mingled with evil com, 

rpo-nr^ f .1 Pressors with 

"on, that I really belies i^ 
shrine of Vnrhv 7 H Was a 

tainW y and San <>tity- cer- 

tamly immorality and iW 
were unknown within f, gl °" 

f was only afte ;;^tC:-- 

~d e eir e ^ <^ 

Moreover, I neV er denied fh. • 
tence of God- th , med the e *is- 

truth U gK t0 te]1 (he 

'™M sometimes fh h J 

UKCLE.-I hadno(;th 

Mention, Charles nf *„ • gntestln " 

similaritv i ? ' lnsinua «ng any 

mnlanty between you and the i n 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 45 

dividual here described. My only 
object is to show how foolish and 
untenable is Ingersoll's theory of 
eternal succession. I will now con- 
tinue the narrative: 

The young man was invited one 
day to a very respectable house. 
There was a large company as- 
sembled. Whilst every one talked 
about news, pleasure, or business, 
two little girls, each twelve or thir- 
teen years of age, were reading to- 
gether seated in a recess of a win- 
dow. The young man, approaching, 
said: 

"What romance, ladies, are you 
reading with so much attention?" 

"We are not, sir, reading any 
romance," they replied. 

"Not a romance! What book, 
then, pray?" 



46 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

"We are reading the History of 
the People of OodP 

"The History of the People of 
God! Do you, then, believe also 
that there is a G-od?" 

Astonished at such a question, 
the young girls looked at each other, 
their faces covered with blushes. 

6 'And you, sir, "said the elder, "do 
you not believe it?" 

■ W I believed it once," replied the 
young man, "but since going to re- 
side in Paris, where I have studied 
philosophy, mathematics, medicine, 
and politics, I have been convinced 
that God is only a word." 

u As for me, sir," answered the 
little girl, "I have never been in 
Paris; I have never studied philos- 
ophy,or mathematics, or those other 
fine things, which you knosv: I know 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 47 

little more than my catechism. But 
since you are so learned, and say 
there is no God, will you tell me, 
what does an egg come from?" 

The child pronounced these words 
in so clear a tone of voice as to be 
heard by a portion of the com- 
pany. 

A few persons drew nigh to know 
what was the matter; others fol- 
lowed; and finally the whole com- 
pany assembled around the window 
to hear the dialogue. 

"Yes, sir," continued the child, 
"since you say there is no God, be 
so good as to tell me, what does an 
egg come from?" 

"An amusing question! an egg 
comes from a hen." 

"And what does the hen come 
from?" 



48 mGEKSOLL1 -— K COLoR , 

I-7he7° UrigJadykno ^a S wella s 
'> aheu come 8 f rom llas 

. Ver ^ we "; but which o^ , 

existed first rt,„ tlle hvo 

7 S > t]l e egg or th j 

I certainly do not i 
^-ntto^ej;^^ 

y°*r hens; but in » ^ and 
A b! pardon rue, Miss T , 

sir." n - A «swernie, 

cauie 11 '' i n"~ Pard ° n nJe - J ""an-be- 
ctUbe — 3 ou s ee v e 

"What I see *ir ,• ., 
know whether 2 "''^-n donot 
thehenorthl f eXi8tedbefo ^ 
^ or the hen before the egg- 



INGERSOLL.ISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 49 

"Well! I say it was the lien." 

"Be it so. There was then a hen 
which did not come from an egg. 
Tell me, now, who created this first 
hen, from which all other hens and 
eggs have come!" 

"With your hens and your eggs, 
you seem to take me for a girl from 
the poultry-yard." 

"Pardon me, sir, I merely ask you 
to tell me, whence came the mother 
of all hens." 

"But, to end the matter — M 

"Since you do not know, permit 
me to tell you. 

"He who created the first hem or 
the first egg, whichever you please, 
is the same Being that created the 
world, and we call him God. You 
cannot, sir, without God, explain 
the existence of an egg or a hen, and 



60 

explau ^e existence of the world." 

J*e young infidel asked no m 

questions- he ^*m -f m ° re 

W o i , stealthily seized his 

1 now, Charles, Bresenf fi» 

knowledge and J- i ' ^ a " llis 
^^o« ana wisdom nr,i , 

^ori;Char'' atniadew - 

btencebyit/o,™, P 8I " ,0ex - 
^ ics own power 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 51 

is an immense, endless chain, with- 
out beginning or end. 

Uncle. — This is but another In- 
gersollian bubble, which bursts 
when exposed to the slightest breath 
of Common Sense. Every position 
taken by the Colonel involves him in 
greater difficulties, and renders his 
theory more ridiculous. 

If this universe be an endless 
chain, then in this chain there is 
neither a first link nor a last link; 
and all the links are of necessity 
connected with one another; — other- 
wise the chain w r ould not be endless. 

Likewise, all the links are equally 
essential to the whole chain, and 
hence all must have sprung into ex- 
istence simultaneously with the for- 
mation of the chain. 

This chain, if endless, does not 



admit of increase; for rh „ . 
P'-ei„ rtichan ; *;««no 

^ed n oe ndtowMc ;^!*'» 

-4 taffife a""™ <* *• fa. 

ail men are of the ' mea " 8 """ 

die or ™-e same as-P nil ^ 

aI ' " s *<*m* ehi, are », ^ 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 53 

has any, are links in tbis chain, 
and consequently they likewise are 
eternal, — as old as their great-grand 
pap. 

Again, Ingersoll's chain ceases to 
be endless, if any one link be taken 
from it; hence, according to this the- 
ory, nothing in the universe can die 
or be deprived of existence. Thus, 
you see, Charles, that when Tnger- 
soll says, "This universe is the one 
eternal being, the only thing that 
ever did, does, or can exist," he 
substantially asserts that every man 
every child, every goose, every mule, 
every donkey in creation is eternal. 

Perhaps Ingersoll would like to 
have this endless chain system in- 
troduced into our schools! 

I think, Charles, that I have now 
said sufficient to show you that In- 



54 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

gersolFs idea is pure, unmitigated 
nonsense. In fact, his every word, 
his every action, his whole life gives 
the lie to his idea, and reveals ths 
absurdities contained in his system. 
If matter be self-acting, as Ingersoll 
supposes, then his eyes, his ears,his 
hands are useless to him. Format- 
ter essentially active, cannot be pos- 
sessed of the property of passivity, 
and hence it cannot be acted upon, 
nor can it receive any impression. 
Now, every time Ingersoll sees, 
hears, or receives anything, his eyes, 
his ears, his hands are acted upon, 
are passive; and hence he constantly 
lies to his idea, lies to himself, and 
lies to the world. 

To say then, "The universe is 
eternal,' ' is a greater absurdity than 
to say that the milk, which Mr. In- 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS- 55 

gersoll drinks, comes not from a 
cow, but from a gander, a pump- 
handle, or a rain spout! 

Chas. — Enough, enough, uncle; 
really never before did I imagine 
that Atheism is such a monstrous 
absurdity. Do you think that the 
system whose principles warrant 
the nonsensical conclusions you 
have deduced, will ever be adopted 
in the schools of our Republic? 

Uncle. — Easier would it be for 
Ingersoll to turn the Mississippi 
from its channel than to pervert our 
nation's belief in an overruling Prov- 
idence. Have you, Charles, already 
forgotten our conversations of last 
November? You must certainly 
remember that then I proved to 
your satisfaction, that the common 
sentiment of mankind is an infalli- 



66 "«»«»™M, ! , mTroBcoio]is 

mistake 1 ,?? ? ce caaa <" i» 

American petr" ' W " k ' bat ">° 

^ y T rp"r' coiE ° bert 

— Ufa InS.0 T" " H « B »'. 



LNGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 57 

from the face of the earth all traces 
of the living God, and to impose on 
society their false, destructive 
dreams. How futile have been 
their diabolical efforts history 
shows. 

But a few months ago in the city 
of Philadelphia one of these agents 
of darkness, a woman — a disgrace 
to her sex — delivered a lecture, at 
the conclusion of which one of the 
audience said in a loud voice: "If I 
had never believed in the existence 
of God, now I would certainly be 
convinced of that truth. ? ' 

As the fierce, angry storm, shaking, 
bending, tossing, threatening the 
trees of the forest, proves a real 
benefit to them, forcing their roots 
deeper and deeper into firm soil, so 
do the most furious attacks of God's 



58 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

enemies serve His interests by caus- 
ing belief in His existence to pene- 
trate more deeply and more solidly 
into the hearts of our people. This 
belief is the soul, the life of our 
Constitution. Our Thanksgiving 
Day is a national monument elo- 
quently attesting our country's be. 
lief in the existence of an Omnipo- 
tent Providence. Our coins im- 
pressed with the theistic motto, "In 
God we trust/' are a lasting declara- 
tion of America's allegiance to the 
Ruler of the universe. 

Fear not, Charles; our citizens' 
practical common sense, and their 
love of country, justice and morality 
will ever preserve our nation from 
being tainted with the foul teachings 
of Ingersollism. Never will the 
hideous viper, Atheism, be able to 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 59 

fasten its poisonous fangs in the 
hearts and minds of the defenders 
of the ''Star-spangled Banner." 

Chas. — Like yourself, uncle, I 
now am convinced that our people are 
proof against all Ingersoll's cunning, 
wicked efforts to withdraw them 
from the service of their God; and I 
feel satisfied that, in America's pure, 
sacred soil, the poisoncais weed, 
Atheism, will never take root. 

But, here, I must ask you to throw 
some light on what appears to me 
an inexplicable contradiction. In 
the estimation of his countrymen, 
Ingersoll is a man of learning and 
ability, a man capable of drawing a 
logical conclusion from given prem- 
ises; hence, I do not understand how 
he can conceive and openly publish 
the extravagant, nonsensical theo- 



60 IN ^o LLISMmiTSTRtJEcoLoRs 

declare MmWtf n, J oucUy 

mmselt the enemy of th* 
Omnipotent God f„, : • 

v ^, it mny be that h* f P 

tend f« /i e does n °t in- 

fend to do SOCIety any reaj 

"* hke m ° St mortals, Ingersoll £ 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 61 

proud and conceited; he is a slave 
crouching at the feet of the tyranni- 
cal mistress, Vanity. Ingersoll is 
not the first man that has made a 
laughing-stock of himself, by follow- 
ing the suggestions whispered in his 
ear by Vanity. 

Our atheist wishes to be talked 
about, longs to gain notoriety; and 
for this end he sacrifices truth, sac- 
rifices his soul, and betrays his God, 
his Creator, his Saviour. To be con- 
sidered original, independent, sin- 
gular, he raises his tiny voice against 
the belief of the world; to hold 
within his grasp the bubble of hu- 
man applause, he ridicules the sa- 
credness of religion, defies heaven. 

Besides vanity there is another 
power, that urges Ingersoll on in the 
mad impious course he is pursuing. 



68 '"°«*»L M s*,„ II8 . rMICOloM 

He is a thorough utilitarian: he 
•«« We aed its l uxm .; „ J " e 

.^allhise n ergi e s, 0ln ob " 
.n g ef, ha , with0llt *™- 

~ IlappiDessisJmpossj -- 
We gj tiering gold-hard cash 

'<>«■ it, he adores it. A ?„„„ 
f-ad by blasphetning t d d ° "' 

,„ , AIJ gersoti believe in their 

Jeart- what they profess ™ 

yeais ago, a writer acknowledged 
l Y JeWS ™* Christians to hfve 
been inspired, declared that X 
^e fool says in his heart, "There 
18 no God" am • 

° a - A^ei S t s do not 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 63 

deny the existence of God, because 
their reason forbids assent to this 
truth; no, their denial springs 
from another source. Man hates 
the duties, the sacrifices, the re- 
straints, laid on him by God; he wish- 
es to follow the bent of his evil in- 
clinations; he detests whatever is 
hard to flesh and blood; to wage a 
constant warfare against his pas- 
sions is a task too onerous for him; 
hence, to free himself from these 
burthensome yokes, to give full 
reins to his unruly passions, he de- 
nies that there is a Supreme Ruler, 
who has the right to impose moral 
obligations on him, — he denies that 
there is a God. Here Jies the secret 
of atheism; and rest assured, Char- 
les, that in the whole range of mathe- 
matics there is no truth which the 



g4 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

atheist would not doubt, dispute, 
deny, if it involved a practical moral, 
precept, duty, or obligation. 

Remember,! do not speak to judge 
or condemn Ingersoll. From my 
heart I pity the man; and I hope 
that, before death summons him 
from this world, he will have opened 
his eyes to his sad state, rejected 
his errors, and embraced the truth. 

I have shown you, Charles, that 
foolishness is the distinguishing 
characteristic of Ingersoll's pet idea, 
—and would that I could say that 
foolishness is the worst feature of 
this man's teachings; — but, unfortu- 
nately, the system he advocates is 
not only silly and absurd — it isal-so 
dangerous, pernicious, destructive 
of society, of morality, of all virtue. 
Ingersoll's theory, practically devel- 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 65 

oped, does away with the criminality 
of murder, and sanctions every im- 
aginable crime. In trying to de- 
stroy our nation's belief in a God, be- 
fore whose tribunal every human 
being must answer for even his most 
secret actions, Ingersoll strikes a 
blow at the very foundation of so- 
ciety, frees man from all moral re- 
sponsibility, and scatters broadcast 
the sparks of a conflagration, which, 
if unchecked, would eventually 
make a dreary waste of our now 
happy, smiling land. 

Ingersoll boasts of his patriotism, 
of his disinterested love for his coun- 
try; while, in reality, he is a greater 
enemy to this nation than were the 
authors of the Rebellion of 1861. 
The Southern Confederacy covered 
the lace of our country with misery 



66 ^«^oL L i SMmiTSTIWEcoLoBg 

" d * 8t f SS ' d ^ battle-fields with 
theb loodofourbestcit . ze wu h 

noble, generous hearts; made hi™ 
homes desolate o»^ u UVU &]?W 
don to fh! br ° UglU oa ™a- 

ion to be very verge of bankrupt- 
cy ,-bu Ingersoll, unknowingly of 

course, threatens us with far greater 
calamities. Thepeopleof theTo ut h 

t telT bIlC; , th ^ si ^y wished 
to secede from those States, which 
m their opinion, menaced the e XIS t 
«*» of institutions sanctioned b l" 
a- t a M highly advantageous tl 
then interests; while Ingersoll and 

t lawful for any body of conspira 

-to S ee k the complete overtW 
of our grand Union. 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 67 

When Tngersoll says there is no 
God, he substantially declares that 
there is no authority above the 
magistrates of the land; and hence 
whoever escapes punishment from 
human tribunals, has nothing more 
to fear. 

u No God" means that every crime 
against the State or individual ceases 
to be a crime if not discovered by 
the officers of the law. "No God" 
means that there is no divine law; 
that every evil action receives its 
malice or criminality from the fact 
of its being prohibited by human leg- 
islation; and that what our rulers 
cannot punish is beyond the reach of 
all punishment. According to In- 
gersolFs theory, secret dynamiters, 
embezzlers, black- mailers, incen- 
diaries, murderers, adulterers, parri- 



68 

oMe 8f fratricides are all fm > , 

in heaven, on earth D ° P ° Wer 

casion. If whila ±"°ierred oc- 
m a S olit ury spot b L ngersoJll s met 

ted no crime S com *it- 






INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 69 

public scandal, but whom money, 
intrigues or friends shield from the 
arm of Justice; and yet these men 
have nothing to dread, nothing to 
bring the blush of shame to their 
cheeks; in fact, the more criminal 
they are, the more fully they satisfy 
their passions, the more strictly 
they follow their evil propensities, 
provided they steer safe of human 
tribunals, the more exalted will they 
be, the greater name will they 
gain for themselves. 

If there be no God, our national 
government is founded on a lie, and 
our courts of justice are but mere 
farces. It is laid down in our stat- 
ue books as a fundamental principle 
that the man who denies the exist- 
ence of God, not only is unfit to 
hold any position of trust in ourna- 



70 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

tion, but is even debarred the right 
of appearing as a witness in any 
court in the land. What then 
would become of our government, of 
our public institutions, if we were 
a nation of atheists, if the men 
elected to our offices of authority 
were Ingersollians disqualified to 
take the oaths required by our 
constitution? How quickly would 
our courts of justice lose their power 
and sacredness, if juries nnd wit- 
nesses could not be bound under 
oath. Thus, you see, Charles, what 
a* deadly enemy Atheism is to our 
beloved country, and how directly 
it is opposed to the best, the wisest, 
the most salutary institutions in the 
land. 

Ignorance of the real meaning and 
logical consequences of words used, 






INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 71 

may serve as an excuse for the 
utterances of an uneducated man; 
but such an apology can never be 
advanced by an expert, a Colonel, a 
member of the bar, a public lecturer. 
The simple assertion that he in- 
tended to do no harm, will not ex- 
cuse the druggist, who knowingly 
administers a poisonous draught to 
a customer. Will the man, who 
carelessly discharges his revolver 
into a crowd be exonerated from 
blame by his declaring that he 
wished to injure no one, he merely 
desired to create a little excitement? 
Will any one then be so senseless 
as to attempt to defend or excuse 
the bold, impudent Atheist, who 
knowingly and openly insults every 
man holding office under our govern- 
ment? 



72 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

In the public discourses of Inger- 
soll, our honored President, our re- 
spected governors, our learned 
judges, in a word, all the officers of 
this free Republic, are ridiculed, 
treated as simpletons, because they 
believe in God. Every atheistical 
speech of Ingersoll's is an insult to 
the heroes, who swore fidelity to 
the ' 'Stars and Stripes," and sacri- 
ficed their fortunes, their lives, their 
all in their country's cause. Inger- 
solPs blasphemous lectures are an 
insult to every grave holding the hon- 
ored remains of the martyrs who 
fought and died in defence of the 
Union — for they all swore in God's 
presence, to be true to the land of 
their birth. Ingersoll meanly, 
cruelly insults every man, woman 
and child professing belief in an Om- 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 73 

nipotent Providence. He says he is 
the friend of the people, — but a friend 
does not insult a friend; while In- 
gersoll deeply wounds oar citizens 
in their tenderest feelings, sneers at 
their most sacred belief, ridicules 
their fondest hope, and laughs to 
scorn the petitions sent by their sad, 
grieved hearts to the throne of Di- 
vine Mercy. 

Chas. — You have proved to my 
satisfaction, uncle, that the Ameri- 
can people will never embrace In- 
gersoll's foolish theories; yet you 
say this man's teachings are danger- 
ous to society, destructive of all 
morality, and hostile to the best in- 
terests of our country. Now, does 
it not seem that here you contradict 
yourself? Certainly, I do not un- 
derstand how a system rejected and 



74 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

condemned by a nation, can be pro- 
ductive of harm to that nation. 

Uncle. — It is a sad, though often 
illustrated fact, Charles, that an 
evil system does not require the 
sanction or acceptance of a nation to 
produce the pernicious results in- 
tended by its founders and promot- 
ers. Error is bold, daring, reckless; 
it moves with rapidity, stealthily 
enters the domain of truth, and 
marks its every step with ruin and 
desolation. 

Though we have never adopted 
any system for the propagation of 
sickness and bodily infirmities, and 
though our country is liberally sup- 
plied with learned doctors and po- 
tent remedies, yet what household 
in the land has not been brought to 
grief by that dread visitor — Disease? 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 75 

Certainly, no one will dare say 
that our government sanctions any 
system for the introduction and dis- 
semination of vice, and yet behold 
the shocking immorality, the bold, 
shameful wickedness disgracing 
every State in the Union. In spite 
of our laws, our courts, our prisons, 
our scaffolds, to deter men from 
crime, what a spectacle of sin and 
shame do our newspapers daily pre- 
sent us! Error,like a wild weed, often 
springs up among the choicest plants 
in the garden of truth, and, though 
neglected and despised, flourishes, 
poisons the surrounding atmosphere 
and witb its withering breath kills 
the fairest flowers that blossom in 
the moral, intellectual paradise this 
world presents to man. 

Although our people, as a nation, 



76 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

will never embrace Ingersoll's ab- 
surd system, yet you must remem- 
ber, Charles, that in this, as in other 
countries, there are men whose only 
occupation, it would seem, is to 
spread vice; men who eagerly grasp 
at any shadow that will justify their 
criminal lives or further their wick- 
ed ends. The truth of what I af- 
firm has been clearly, strikingly illus- 
trated by the shocking scenes of law- 
lessness, rioting, bloodshed, and an- 
archy, that have recently disgraced 
New York, St. Louis, Chicago, and 
other great important cities of our 
Union. Through the agency of a 
few mischief-plotters, sworn ene- 
mies of law and order, our land has 
been filled with confusion and dis- 
order, happy homes have been ren- 
dered desolate, thousands of fami- 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 77 

lies plunged into misery, our indus- 
tries crippled, and our whole nation, 
financially, socially and morally, has 
received a wound which only years 
will heal. 

The French Commune of 1870 is a 
striking example of the immense 
amount of evil that can be effected 
by a handful of shrewd, determined 
men of this class. These evil-doers, 
these workers of iniquity, gladly 
place themselves under the standard 
of a man like Ingersoll; for, in the 
principles advocated by such a 
leader, they see a plausible defence 
for their sinful lives, — in Atheism 
they find a cloak that will lend an air 
of respectability to their impious, 
dishonest, immoral actions. 

Moreover, these depraved wretches 
wish to draw into their disgraceful 



78 IKGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

ranks the pure and the innocent; 
and for this purpose they spread on 
all sides the poisonous teachings of 
Ingersoll, and laud to the skies their 
idolized atheist. To save the young, 
the unsuspicious, the incorrupted 
from these human wolves, we must re- 
veal the hidden deformity of atheist- 
ical doctrines presented to the public 
under specious coverings; we must 
make manifest thefalsehood,the mal- 
ice lurking in the plausible argu- 
ments of these deadly enemies of so- 
ciety. Yes,Charles,IngersoLTs system 
is a system of crime,of wickedness, of 
poison, of death. It leads the young 
man from the path of virtue, and 
plunges him into the dark abyss of 
sin and misery. Belief in God serves 
as a powerful restraint on the pas- 
sions of men, preserves millions from 



INGEKSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 79 

a life of shame and a death of igno- 
miny and leads all to true virtue, to 
lasting happiness; while IngersolPs 
doctrine of u no God" makes men 
slaves to their beastly inclinations, 
incites them to crime,and, at the end 
of their mortal career, opens to them 
the vision of a miserable eternity. 

Ch as. — Considering, all that you 
have said, uncle, it seems astonish- 
ing that the people should manifest 
such an eagerness to attend Inger- 
soll's lectures. One would imagine 
that the public regarded the notori- 
ous atheist as an oracle. 

Uncle. — Well, Charles, you must 
remember that we Americans are a 
nation of sight-seers; our people 
have an almost insatiable craving 
for the curious, the strange, the ab- 
normal, the monstrous. 



80 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

There are thousands in the land 
whose sole occupation is to supply 
food to appease this morbid appe- 
tite of our nation. Our nightly- 
crowded theatres, our much-fre- 
quented menageries, our largely- 
patronized railroads bear witness to 
this fact. The masses follow Inger- 
soll in the same spirit in which they 
follow Barnum's clown, or Fore- 
paugh's big elephant. As a rule, 
our people are not over particular 
in the choice of their amusements 
and recreations; they are constantly 
on the alert for anything, no matter 
how insignificant, that will afford 
them an hour's laughter or diver- 
sion. 

To say, then, that our people at- 
tend IngersolPs lectures in the hope 
of being instructed in the truth, or 



INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. gj 

of receiving any useful information 
is an insult to our nation. At heart, 
our citizens despise Ingersoll and 
contemn his teachings. 

Mormonism, though a disgrace and 
abomination in our land, has its 
city, its temples, its meeting-houses; 
while the monster Atheisril has not 
a single village or hamlet, in which 
it can freely, independently raise its 
head or wag its tail. 

Atheism, Charles, is the absurd- 
ity of absurdities; it is the foulest 
blot, the darkest page in the history 
of man. 

The atheist is a disgrace to human 
nature — he stands alone in his im- 
piety, and is condemned by the 
voices of even irrational and in- 
animate nature. i There is a God," 
says the illustrious Chateau- 



82 INGERSOLLISM IN ITS TRUE COLORS. 

briancL — "the herbs of the valley, 
the cedars of the mountains, bless 
him — the insect sports in his 
beams the elephant salutes him 
with the rising orb of the day — the 
bird sings him in the foliage— the 
thunder proclaims him in the heav- 
ens — the ocean declares his immen- 
sity — man alone has said, 'There is 
no God!"' 



THE END. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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